Signal-lamp.



G. H. ROLFES.

SIGNAL LAMP.

APPLICATION FILED APR.22, 1912.

Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON, D. c.

G. H. ROLFES. SIGNAL LAMP. APPLICATION TILED APR.22, 1912.

1,043,465. Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

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GEORGE H. ROLFES, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOB TO HANIDLAN-BUCK MANUFAC- TUBING- GOMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION.

SIGNAL-LAMP;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

Application filed. April 22, 1912. Serial No. 692,364.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. Ronrns, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal-Lamps, of which the following is a full, clear, .and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part 'of this specification.

My invention relates to a signal lamp or lantern more particularly intended to be used on railway cars and locomotives, and the invention has for its object to provide in a signal lamp, having a base and a shell body rotatable relative to said base, means carried by the base of the lamp through the medium of which rays of light from the burner in the lamp may be prevented from passing through one or another of lenses in the lamp shell, according to the adjustment of the shell upon the base supporting it.

Figure I is an elevation of a signal lamp containing my improvement. Fig. II is a view of the lamp, partly in vertical section and partly in elevation. Fig. III is a horizontal section through the lamp. Fig. IV is a perspective view of one of the lens retaining devices of my lamp.

In the drawings: A designates the base of my lamp and B the lamp shell, rotatably fitted to said base. The base A is intended to be secured in any suitable manner to a bracket or other support by which the lamp is held when in service.

In the prefered construction of the base A, the said base comprises an annular foot flange 1, surmounted by a top plate 2, which is of less diameter than the diameter of the foot flange, thereby providing an offset at the junction of the top plate and flange, in which are included an annular horizontal seat 3 at the top of the flange, and a vertical seat 4 uniting the horizontal seat to the top plate 2. 5 is an overhanging flange carried by the base A, and jutting over the horizontal seat 3 at the top of the base flange 1. This overhanging flange is carried by a vertical rim 6 concentric with the shell of the lamp surmounting the base A, and said parts 5 and 6 are preferably connected to the top plate of the baseAby aplate 7,which is riveted, or otherwise secured, to said top plate.

The shell B of my lamp is provided with an upturned flange 8 that is folded against the inner wall of the shell, and receives the overhanging flange 5, thus permitting said overhanging flange to serve as a retainer by which the bottom edge of the shell 13 is loosely held in contact with, or in close proximity to, the horizontal seat 3 of the base A. By thus holding said shell, it is rotatably attached to the base A, to permit of its rotation relative to the latter.

The shell of my lamp is provided with a plurality of lens openings that accommodate lenses 9, which may be of different colors, or one of which may be uncolored, while the remainder are colored. In the drawings, I have shown two of such lenses, but it is obvious that the lamp may be supplied with a greater number of lenses.

To prevent the passage of rays of light from the burner of a lamp font, such as at C shown in the drawings, through any one of the lenses 9, I provide within the lamp a shield 10, that is supported by the base A and is of such dimensions as to prevent passage of rays of light from the lamp burner through any of the lenses 9 when interposed between the lamp burner and the lens. The shield 10 is preferably of sheet metal, and it is secured at its lower edge to the vertical rim 6 by any suitable means, such as rivets,

The shield is arranged concentric within the lamp shell and, therefore, when said shell is rotated upon the base A while said base remains stationary, the lenses may be so adjusted as to cause the shield to be interposed between the lamp burner and any one or more lenes through which it may be desired to prevent the passage of rays of light from the lamp burner, while permitting the passage of such rays through another lens.

The rotatable lamp shell 13 is held in adjusted positions by a spring goverened latch bolt 11, loosely arranged in a spring housing 12 fixed to the lamp shell opposite the vertical rim 6 carried by the base A. In said rim are horizontal bolt holes 13 adapted to receive the latch bolt, for the purpose of holding the shell from rotation on the base. The lenses of my lamp are confined within frames 14. secured to the lamp shell and having outwardly jutting flanges surrounding the lenses. The lenses are preferably secured in said frames by cement; but inasmuch as the joints furnished between the lenses and frame by the use of cement are liable to become loosened by jar or vibration, unless some provision is made to prevent, I eliminate the possibility of the lenses becoming loosened from their seats by employing clips 15, which are of approximately U-shaped, and which straddle the outwardly jutting flanges of the frames 14. One leaf of each of these clips extends along the frame flange to which it is fitted into.

contact with a lens within the frame, and the other leaf is provided with a slot 16 extending transversely of the clip and receiving a binding screw 17, seated in the frame flange to which the clip is fitted. It will be seen that the described construction of clip makes it possible for the lens holding clips to be adjusted inwardly on the frame flanges that receive them, while the heads of the binding screws 17 are loosened from the clips; and that when the desired adjustment has been obtained, the binding screws may be screwed into the flanges to bind the clips firmly to the lens frame flanges and cause the clips to perform their duties in a highly satisfactory manner.

I claim 1. In a signal lamp, a shell provided with a plurality of lenses, a base provided with an upwardly extending rim located within said shell by which the shell is rotatably connected to the base, and a shield carried by said rim adapted to obstruct the rays of light through any of said lenses from the interior of said shell.

2. In a signal lamp, a shell provided with and a rim carried by said base provided with a flange loosely engaging said shell above said seat.

3. In a signal lamp, a'shell provided with a plurality of lenses, a base having a seat to which the lower edge of said shell is fitted, a rim carried by said base provided with a flange loosely engaging said shell above said seat, and a shield secured to said rim adapted to obstruct the passage of rays of light through any of said lenses from the interior of said shell.

4. In a signal lamp, a shell provided with a plurality of lenses, a base having a horizontal seat that receives the lower edge of said shell, and a vertical seat in contact with the inner wall of the shell. adjacent its lower edge, and means carried by said base overhan 'in said horizontal seat and en a in C b 23 D said shell thereabove to hold the shell in engagement with said base while permitting rotation of the former relative to the latter.

means carried by said shell adapted to be placed in engagement with the rim carried by saidbase to hold the shell from rotation relative to the base.

GEORGE H. ROLFES.

In the presence of- A. J. MCOAULEY, E. B. LINN.,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner'of- Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

